Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Samuel Silberstein, the son of an Austrian general, immigrated to Pittsburgh from Vienna, Austria, in 1881. He was one of the first Jews to settle in the Homewood section of the city, where he established a furnace and tinware business. An inventor, he gained local attention in 1897 for designing a compressed air motor that he believed would revolutionize the streetcar industry, although its promise surpassed its impact. Samuel Silberstein (1865-1932) married Sara Tannenbaum (1871-1930). They lived on Hamilton Avenue and had six children, Gertrude, Sadie, Ethel, Joseph, Herschel and Florence.
Gertrude and Harry Shapera
Gertrude Silberstein married Harry Shapera. They had two children, Richard and Jean.
Sadie and David Alter
Sadie Silberstein (c.1889-1964) married David Alter, an immigrant from Austria-Hungary, who was trained as an engineer. Alter purchased the Jewish Criterion in 1909 to save the paper from bankruptcy and spent decades as its publisher. He also published the Baltimore Jewish Times. Sadie Alter took over the publishing operation after her husband died. A civic leader, she founded the Planned Parenthood Association of Pittsburgh, was the president of the Urban League, and attended the World Disarmament Conference in Paris in 1932. Sadie and David Alter had a daughter, Geraldine.
Ethel and Joseph Goldsmith
Ethel Silberstein married Joseph Goldsmith and had a daughter, Evelyn. Joseph Silberstein married Cecile Balter (c.1898-1966), who was involved with the National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section, and became the president of the organization. They had two sons, Robert and Richard.
Herschel and Floryn Silberstein
Herschel Silberstein married Floryn Greenberg. A prominent real estate broker, he owned the 6th Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Homewood and “never collected rent,” according to his family. He gained some local press attention in 1934 when a house he owned in Penn Township was “stolen.” He suspected that neighbors stripped the house to its foundation for kindling and building materials. Herschel and Floryn Silberstein had a daughter, Celeste.
Florence and Louis Reizenstein
Florence Silberstein (1901-1970) married Louis Reizenstein. She was a well known activist, especially for her work to improve interracial and interfaith relations. In 1975, a public middle school on Penn Avenue in East Liberty was named in her memory.
Bibliography
Rauh Jewish Archives
- Reizenstein Family papers [MSS 73] (catalog record).
- Reizenstein Family oversize records [MSO 73] (catalog record).
- Reizenstein Family photographs [MSP 73] (catalog record).
- Reizenstein Family oversize photographs [MSP 73] (catalog record).
- Reizenstein glass lectures [1998.0015] (catalog record).
- Louis J. Reizenstein obituary file (catalog record).
- Florence J. Reizenstein obituary file (catalog record).
- Michaels, Lois. “Florence Reizenstein,” from “Her deeds sing her praises: Profiles of Pittsburgh Jewish Women,” NCJW-Pittsburgh [BM753 .H47 2016] (catalog record).
- David Alter biography file (catalog record).
- Jewish Chronicle Records [MSS 906] (catalog record).
University of Pittsburgh Archives & Special Collections
- Louis Reizenstein oral history, July 24, 1974, from National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section Records [ais196440.363] (online).
Exhibit history
- Author: Eric Lidji
- Created: August 20, 2014
- Current: February 25, 2024